Porca Food

• “Dr. J. Emilio Esteban was appointed as chief scientist of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service in August 2018. In this capacity, Dr. Esteban serves as the primary scientific advisor on matters of public health and food safety that affect the mission of the agency, with primary responsibility for scientific initiatives within the Office of Public Health Science (OPHS). Dr. Esteban’s efforts directly support FSIS’ Strategic Goals 1: Prevent Foodborne Illness and Protect Public Health, and 2: Modernize Inspection Systems, Policies, and the Use of Scientific Approaches.
• “In 2002, Dr. Esteban joined OPHS as the director of the Western Laboratory. In this role, he directed the implementation of the sampling program and was responsible for the physical plant, equipment and personnel infrastructure. In 2008, he was appointed as the FSIS science advisor for laboratory services, where he harmonized the operation of all three FSIS laboratories, maintained operations to meet with the ISO17025 standard, and coordinated emergency response.
• “Prior to joining FSIS, Dr. Esteban worked in several positions at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). From 1994 to 2002, he was as an epidemic intelligence service officer; a staff epidemiologist in the National Center for Environmental Health; and an assistant director for the CDC Food Safety Office.
• “He received his doctorate in veterinary medicine from Mexico’s National University, a master’s of business administration from the Panamerican Institute, and a master’s of preventive veterinary medicine, as well as a doctorate in epidemiology from the University of California at Davis.”

The Office of the Undersecretary for Food Safety has remained vacant since last Inauguration Day, when, Mindy Brashears who was Undersecretary for Food Safety during the Trump Administration left government

The USDA’s undersecretary for food safety is the federal government’s top food safety position, responsible for oversight of FSIS along with other duties. The undersecretary chairs the U.S. Codex Steering Committee, which provides guidance to U.S. delegations to the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

The White House on May 13 announced the appointment of Stacy Dean as USDA Undersecretry for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services. Dean also awaits a hearing and confirmation vote.

 FSIS  is responsible for ensuring the nation’s supply of meat, poultry, and processed egg products is safe and correctly labeled and packaged.  The undersecretary must be selected from among individuals with specialized training or significant experience in food safety or public health programs.